Dodge City times. [volume] (Dodge City, Kan.) 1876-1892, 1887-01-20
The message referred to Is quoted from In
regard to the trouble Of compelling local officers

The message referred to Is quoted from Ia
regard to the trouble Of compelling local officers
| to execute all laws.
Nothing was done at that t.zae nor has any
remedy since been provided that would enable
the executive to fulfill the duty deyolyed on
him by the constitution. County and city off,
GERS may abuse or fail to perform their lawful
| funetioHs; they MT, aid, abet or encourage per-
Fang Who are daily and hourly defying and vio-
| latlng the constitution and laws OF the State |;
they may neglect or refuse to prosecute such
offenders even when the facts are brought to
their notice; and yet the executive has no more
power To compel them to do their duty, nor to
punish them for refusing to do it, than hes any
other citizen.
! The Governor concludes this subject BY dis
| claiming airy desire to exercise autocratic au-
sihorlty, but he believes some legal machinery
| ought to be provided to enable the Executive to
| fulfill the requirements 81 the constitution and
| compel local officers to discharge the plain d.,
ties of their positions. That Intoxicating liquors
are sold. as beverage, anywhere within the
| limits OF Kansas is not because Of faults in our
laws touching this question. Those laws. de-
! fective as they are IN some features, are ample
enough in their directions. restrictions and PEN
| allies 10 punish every person who either sells or
| buys liquors for unlawful purposes There IS
| not town, city or neighborhood in the State Ia
which an illegal traffic in liquors can be carried
! the duties plainly epioined upon them by lag
with zeal and fidelity.
| RESULTS OF PROHIBITION.
The public sentiment Of Kansas is overwheln.-
inSly against the liquor traffic. Thousands Il
| men who few years ago opposed prohibition,
or doubted whether it was the best method of
dealing with the liquor traffic, have seen and
| frankly acknowledged its benefcent results and
It's practical success. The temptations with
which the open saloon allured the youth of the
land TO disgrace and destruction: the appetite
for liquor. bred and nutured within its walls by
the treating custom; the vice, crime, poverty,
suffering and sorrow of which it is always the
fruitful sOurce-al these evil results of the open
saloon have been abolished in nearly every town
and city OF Kansas. There is not an observing
man in the State who does not know that
great reform has been accomplished in Kansas
by prohibition.
RAILROADS.
The growth OF the railway system of Kansas
during the past two years has been phenom.
email Fully $50 miles of new road have, dur.
ing that period, oeen completed, and since the
first day Of January, 1886, not less than 1,1tO
miles have been finished.
There are at present 6.OGo miles of railway in
operation within the LIMITS Of the State. This
marvellous development Of our railway system,
gratifying as it is to the pride of every citizen,
is nevertheless a source of just anxiety and ap-
prehensiOn. While our great railway corpora
tons are, in theory. the mere creatures of the
State, they are really organized for the personal
profit OF their owners and managers, and, unesss
regulated and controlled by just laws, they may
exert their vast powers to injure or Cypress the
people 1t is, therefore, alike the right and the
duty OF the State to exert its authority to protect
each and all o! its citizens against eXtortiOns or
determinations by the railways Experience
has confirmed the opinion ] expressed two
years ago that the commission system, wita
ample powers vested in the commission, is ths
best method of dealing with or regulating rail. |
roads
The reduction of freight rates effected by the |
commissioners. during the past three years. has
been fully 26 per cent There are. however, |
some legal restraints and regulations which only
the law making power can provide. The rail- |
way corporations should be prohibited from Ell |
gaging, either directly or indirectly, In any |
other business except that of common carriers. |
If these great corporations are allowed to en- |
bark in commercial industrial agricultural |
pursuits, individual enterprise is paralyzed, legt
innate competition is made impossible, and ths |
railway companies will soon mOnopOlize every |
business that should afford full scope for the |
personal energies of the people. The great and |
startling peril of the future. indeed 1t is not
danger present and immediate, lies in these vast
and memorable Accommodations Of capital. which
fort and industry from ell fields of human activ-
ity 1t is an imperative duty of the law-making |
power National as well as State, to check these
ruinous tendencies to corporate and syndicate
organization. and do it promptly, vigorously and
thoroughly. The issuing of socalled 'watered
stock should also be prohibited undey the -
verest penblties. So
Some means should also be devised
TO compel foreign corporations to pay
their just proportion of taxes cars used
in the carrying trade Of Kansas. The Pullman
Car Company, and dozens of fast freight and
other companies, have constantly in use, in
Kansas. hundreds of cars on which not dollar
of tax is ever paid.
Measures should be adopted to enforce the
Of taxes on cars thus used in Kansas
If no other remedy can be found. the railways
Of Kansas should be prohibited from using cars
on which taxes are not paid.
JOHN A. MARTIN. |